Beverage dispensing equipment relative to the provision of carbonated beverages is well understood. Such beverages may include a syrup mixed with carbonated water (also known as soda). Such equipment which provides for such beverages typically have associated with them a carbonator for mixing carbon dioxide gas with water. The carbonator body may have surrounding it a reservoir containing a chilled coolant. For example, the carbonator may be located within an ice bank cooled water bath which chills the carbonator and its contents as well as the water to be carbonated. As is known, the ice bank is formed on an evaporator located with the water bath which evaporator is cooled by the operation of a mechanical refrigeration system. Examples of such arrangements are described in GB 2 307 975A and U.S. Pat. No. 5,399,300.
In practice, the carbonator may be closely adjacent to or remote from the beverage dispense point i.e., the point where a valve or tap is operated to dispense the beverage into a glass or similar container from which the consumer will drink the beverage. If the carbonator is remote from the dispense point, the soda may be kept chilled on its journey from the carbonator by ensuring that the supply tube is held within a thermally insulating sleeve which is sometimes known as a python.
A continuing problem with prior art carbonators concerns their ability to rapidly form carbonated water of the desired level of carbonation to adequately provide for needed volumes thereof during periods of high drink demand.
A further problem concerns the ability of the cooling equipment to provide for good heat exchange between the ice bank and the carbonator tank and the water or syrup coils wherein the water in the bath serves as the thermal exchange medium there between. Typically, agitators are used to stir the water in the bath tank to ensure proper heat exchange between the water and the ice bank and, in turn, the carbonator and coils. However, an agitator includes a separate motor and presents further equipment and energy consumption cost.
Carbonators also require a water pump to pump the flat or non-carbonated water therein and to pump the carbonated water therefrom to the dispense point. Such pumps also represent further cost and complexity.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to have an improved carbonator that can produce large volumes of properly carbonated water. And it also would be desirable to accomplish the foregoing in a manner that provides for good heat exchange between the carbonator and the cooling medium there around and do so in a manner that is cost efficient. It would further be desirable to provide for such heat exchange and for the pumping of water to and from the carbonator that does not require separate motors for each such function.